The nine-member Iowa Court of Appeals has elected Judge Gayle Nelson Vogel of Spirit Lake as chief judge. Vogel has served on the Court of Appeals since 1996. She is the ninth chief judge since the state Legislature established the Iowa Court of Appeals in 1976. She replaces Chief Judge David Danilson, who recently retired. Vogel was born in Rockford, Ill., and graduated cum laude from Rockford College in 1971 and Drake University Law School in 1983. Following law school, she worked in private practice in Knoxville and served on the board of directors for several business and civic groups. In 1994, she was awarded the Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year Award. Vogel is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, having served on the Grievance Commission from 1988 to 1996. As a member of the Iowa Judges Association, she served on the probate manual committee, the juvenile law committee and was co-chair of the Iowa Court Improvement Project for several years. Vogel was instrumental in developing rules to expedite appeals in child dependency cases. Currently, she serves as co-chair of the Judicial Technology Committee.